evangelise

IPA/ɪvˈandʒɪlˌaɪz/
IPA/ɪvˈændʒɪlˌaɪz/

evangelise — verb

1. to keep praising an idea, product, or way of doing things because you want other

1.verbtransitive / intransitiveC1
Definition

to keep praising an idea, product, or way of doing things because you want other people to try it too.

Example

For months, Jude evangelised electric buses to every city councillor.

evangelise + product + to + audience

Lakshmi keeps evangelising about open-source tools in design workshops.

evangelise about + topic

Common collocations
  • evangelise remote work
  • evangelise a product
  • evangelise open-source software
  • evangelise to investors
  • evangelise for change
Synonyms
  • promote

    broader and more neutral; it does not by itself suggest missionary-like enthusiasm.

  • publicise

    means making something known, not necessarily winning people over to it.

  • champion

    often suggests active support for a cause, policy, or reform.

Antonyms
  • dismiss

    to reject the idea instead of urging other people to accept it.

  • criticise

    to point out faults rather than praise the thing enthusiastically.

Grammar Patterns

evangelise + product/idea

evangelise about/for + product or idea

evangelise + product/idea + to + audience

Usage Note

Often used when someone sounds unusually convinced or energetic, especially in business or technology. The thing being praised is usually the object, and the audience may follow with 'to'. Distinguish from sense 2, which stays specifically religious.

Common Mistakes

She evangelised to the new software all morning.
She evangelised the new software all morning.' / 'She evangelised about the new software all morning.
use the product as the object, or use 'about' before the topic.
Our manager evangelised us remote work.
Our manager evangelised remote work to us.
make the idea the object and put the listeners after 'to'.

2. to speak to people about the Christian faith in the hope that they will accept i

2.verbtransitive / intransitiveC1
Definition

to speak to people about the Christian faith in the hope that they will accept it.

Example

Every summer, volunteers evangelise in mountain towns near Chiayi.

evangelise in + place

Pastor Gabriel evangelised to factory workers after the evening shift.

evangelise to + audience

Common collocations
  • evangelise in villages
  • evangelise to workers
  • evangelise among students
  • evangelise local families
  • evangelise overseas
Synonyms
  • preach

    broader religious verb; it can refer to giving a sermon without stressing conversion.

  • proselytise

    more formal and often sounds more forceful or controversial.

  • missionize

    used mainly in missionary contexts and less common in everyday British English.

Antonyms
  • discourage

    to try to stop people from moving toward the faith.

Grammar Patterns

evangelise in + place

evangelise to + audience

evangelise + person/group

evangelise among + group

Usage Note

Common in church or mission contexts. It can focus on the activity itself ('evangelise in rural villages') or name the people being addressed. Distinguish from sense 1, where the thing being promoted is an idea, product, or method rather than Christianity.

Common Mistakes

The volunteers evangelised the church every weekend.
The volunteers evangelised in the village every weekend.' / 'The volunteers evangelised local families every weekend.
name the place of the work or the people being addressed, not the church building.
Pastor Lin evangelised about the market to shoppers.
Pastor Lin evangelised to shoppers in the market.
this sense focuses on speaking to people about the faith, not simply talking about a location.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

Evangelise suggests unusually strong belief in something and an active wish to win other people over. Promote is broader and more neutral: a company can promote a service without sounding personally converted to it. Publicise only means making something known, whether people end up liking it or not. Preach can overlap when the tone feels moral or forceful, but it does not always imply that others will adopt the idea. Compare: a founder may evangelise remote work, a marketing team promotes it, a newspaper publicises the policy, and an angry relative preaches about it.

evangelise ↗promote ↗publicise ↗preach ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • a product
  • an idea
  • the faith

Adverbs

Phrases

  • evangelise remote work
  • evangelise to local families
  • evangelise for change

Prepositions

  • to + audience
  • about + topic
  • for + cause
  • among + group
  • in + place

Etymology

GreekLatinEnglish

Evangelise came into English from evangel, a word that goes back through Latin to Greek and originally meant 'good news' or 'gospel'. It first referred to spreading the Christian message, and later broadened to the figurative sense of urging other people to accept an idea, product, or method with missionary-like enthusiasm.